In his Crib Sheet, CNN's John King looks back at Sunday's talk shows and ahead to the topics that will be making news this week.

The relief and recovery effort in n Haiti, immediate and long term, dominated the Sunday conversation, as President Obama’s point men explained and defended the administration’s response and his two immediate predecessors discussed their new joint effort to raise money and awareness for the long haul.

“We’re going to be here as long as we are needed,” was Army Lt. Gen. P.K. Keen’s message from Port-Au-Prince.

“Our goal and our metric of success is to be able to do more every single day,” was the standard set by Dr. Rajiv Shah, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Seated side-by-side in the Map Room of the White House where each worked and lived for eight years, former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush promised to keep attention on Haiti’s reconstruction long after media attention moves on.

“We’re a safe haven,” Mr. Bush said of their fund-raising effort, warning Americans to beware of scams and brushing aside the irony of the fact that the man politically scarred by the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina was returning to the spotlight to help deal with a natural disaster. “People love to point fingers.”

For his part, Mr. Clinton said the goal of the longer-term effort had to be to help Haiti escape its legacy of poverty and corruption. “I won’t feel successful if all we do is get them back to where they were the day before the earthquake.”

While Haiti dominated the day, there were reminders of the new political climate at home. One year after Washington prepared for the Obama inaugural, the talk in Washington was of Republican momentum in the Massachusetts special Senate election – and of what message the race would send to frame the early midterm year mindset.
“This is, in effect, a referendum on the national health care bill,” said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, and most Democrats conceded there was little arguing with that, even as they grumbled about their candidate and her campaign.

On now to the Sound of Sunday, and forgive the repetition: the show lineups were remarkably familiar because of the administration’s push to make the case it was responding aggressively to the Haiti crisis.

THE NUTS AND BOLTSLt. Gen. P.K. Keen, Deputy Commander, U.S. Southern Command, on CNN’s “State of the Union” responding to complaints that some planes with food, water and medical equipment weren’t being permitted to land. “It's a matter of balance between getting relief supplies on the ground, and getting the people on the ground that is necessary to get the relief supplies distributed, and getting the logistical operation on the ground so we can get it out by ground as well as by air.”

Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator, on CNN’s “State of the Union”“We have 30 teams from around the world on the ground. Each of the teams have 70-plus individuals. They have dogs and assets and specialized equipment and are working around the clock. And we set up a center that will allow the others to know where to go. You always want more, and we have a number of teams on stand by here in the United States. But we were even told by the Haitian government that - that we need to balance the degree of that versus food and rations.”

Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator, on CNN’s “State of the Union”“Our goal and our metric of success is to be able to do more every single day, and more in the sense of delivery of commodities. As we get greater capabilities and as we secure a real partnership and cooperative working relationship with the range of partners.”

Lt. Gen. P.K. Keen, Deputy Commander, U.S. Southern Command, on CNN’s “State of the Union”“We are going to be here as long as we are needed. What I have on the ground right now is 1,000 - approximately 1,000 military personnel. I have more coming today. Two more companies out of the 82nd airborne decision. In the coming days I will have Marines coming up, and we will have critical enablers to clear roads.”

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah on NBC’s “Meet the Press” “We're aware that we're racing against the clock, and that is why when the President asked us to have a swift and coordinated response, we didn't hesitate. We immediately began, at the U.S. Agency for Regional Development and with partners from across the government, FEMA, DHS and a number others, we immediately mobilized resources, food items, commodities, like health and medical kits, and started sending those down to Haiti as soon as we possibly could.”

Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator, on ABC’s “This Week”“There are not a lot of supplies piling up at the airport things that are getting there are going out. The challenge is we are talking about three and half million people in need.”

Lt. Gen. P.K. Keen, Deputy Commander, U.S. Southern Command, on “Fox News Sunday”“We had a very good day yesterday. Paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division who have only arrived within the last day or two delivered over 70,000 bottles of water and 130,000 rations and we’re going to be able to increase that every day.”

THE LONGER VIEWFormer President George W. Bush, on CNN’s “State of the Union”“For me success is helping save lives in the short term and then we can worry about the long term after the situation has been stabilized. But I think it's a legitimate question. Do we want to put money into a society that hasn't benefited after we've stabilized? And the answer is I think we do, just so long as we work with the government to develop a strategy that makes sense. To say the country can't succeed is too defeatist as far as I’m concerned.”

Former President Bill Clinton, on CNN’s “State of the Union”“I would define success as setting up a network quickly to get the food, water, medicine, security, and information people need. And then, as quickly as possible, resuming the path they were on before the earthquake to build a strong, modern country. I think they can do it. I agree with you. I won't feel successful if all we do is get them back to where they were the day before the earthquake.”

Former President George W. Bush, on CNN’s “State of the Union”“One of the things I am concerned about is that on these - during these crises, all kinds of fake charities spring up, that, you know, take advantage of people's goodwill, and we're safe haven. We will make sure the money is accounted for and there's transparency and properly spent.”
Former President George W. Bush, on ABC’s “This Week”“I think it's important for the Haitian government, once the initial stage of the crisis passes, explain a clear strategy that means the money will be well-spent. It's one thing to save lives. It's going to be another thing to make sure that the long-term development project has a reasonable plan.”

Former President Bill Clinton on CBS’ “Face the Nation”“I’ve already talked to a lot of these donor nations. And keep in mind, they pledged a lot of money before this happened. We in the United States, as we always do, have given a higher percentage then what we pledged. So a lot of these countries have money set aside they can put there. I think we can afford it. I don’t think we can afford not to do it."

Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC Delegate) on CNN’s “State of the Union“Having taken the leadership, having seen the devastation, the road ahead is how can we rebuild the country of Haiti with the kinds of resources it’s not had in 300 years?"

ODD COUPLE?Former President Bill Clinton, on CNN’s “State of the Union”“I think when people see us together, look, they know we have differences even though we're friends, and what I - the only political thing I hope that comes out of this is that people keep their differences of conviction but treat their neighbors as friends.”

Former President George W. Bush, on CNN’s “State of the Union”“My brother calls him my stepbrother and my mother calls him my stepbrother.”

Former President George W. Bush, on CNN’s “State of the Union”“I frankly don't miss the limelight. I'm glad to help out, but there's life after the presidency is what I’ve learned, and I'm going to live it to the fullest, and this is part of living it to the fullest, to help other people.”

Former President Bill Clinton, on CNN’s “State of the Union”“I think that once you've been president, you shouldn't gratuitously offer any advice to your successor. If somebody asked you what you think, you tell them. Otherwise you just show up when you're asked to help.”

Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on whether they consider themselves friends
BUSH: “Yeah I do.”

CLINTON: “Me too.”

BUSH: I called him. He didn't call me because he knows how busy a president is. I called him and we chatted on occasion.”

CLINTON: “I was always pleased when he called me. I'd try, I make it a practice never to bother the president. I don't call President Obama either. I don't think it's, you know, they've got plenty to do. But I, we have developed a very honest, good friendship. And we've made our disagreements respectful and we've had a good time doing it.”
THE MASSACHUSETTS MESSAGESenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on “Fox News Sunday”“Regardless of the outcome Tuesday, we know in the most liberal state in America you're going to have a close election for the United States Senate because people in Massachusetts don't want this health care bill to pass.”

Republican strategist Mary Matalin on CNN’s “State of the Union”“If we win a seat in a state that’s 12 percent Republican on the signature issue of the Obama agenda – health care – this will change the way politics tastes. Even if we don’t win. If we win it will be apocalyptic for the Democrats. That we got this close is nothing short of cataclysmic. This agenda is going to change."

Democratic strategist James Carville on CNN’s “State of the Union“I was involved in one of these things in 1991 in Pennsylvania. And it could happen. And if it does happen, the last place that I’d want to be is at the Wednesday morning staff meeting at the White House.”

Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry on CNN’s “State of the Union”“I was told very reliably that a couple of the president’s top advisers have told senior Democrats they think Coakley’s going to lose.”

Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC Delegate) on CNN’s “State of the Union on whether Democrats should rush to get final approval on a health care bill because of the tight Massachusetts senate race“I don’t think you should rush, but I don’t think you should put aside regular order either. If we get it finished, we shouldn’t wait for somebody to come and kill it.”

soundoff(5 Responses)

I'm praying for the Haitian people. Thanks to everyone who is helping through prayers, efforts or donations. I'm proud of the American response.

January 17, 2010 05:54 pm at 5:54 pm |

annie against biased news

obama's rescue plan for Haiti – send all the Haitians to the USA so that he has a new voting base.

January 17, 2010 06:40 pm at 6:40 pm |

Susan

Oh my ... have the citizens of this country already forgotten which party brought about this mess that we are in? Well, it's time to remind them ... REPUBLICANS!

I guess I should also remind them that it's easy and takes little time to make a mess, but it takes time and hard work to clean it up. We're just beginning to see things turn around ... give the democrats a chance to finish the job.

January 17, 2010 06:47 pm at 6:47 pm |

Alan in Marietta, GA

John King is an arrogant, incompetent faux journalist who has a hard time hiding the fact that he is a member of the GOP's destroy Barack Obama campaign. This guy is a tool x 10.

January 17, 2010 07:37 pm at 7:37 pm |

Preston k

Pkm good for bill and george now if congressand the senate would get off there buts and learn to work together